Old Acre

Acre – is one of the oldest cities in Israel and it is one of our favourite. It is located on the shore of Mediterranean Sea, north to Haifa and we’ve already written about it not once in our blog.

The narrow streets of the old town, cobbled stone, filled with the smell of spices and water-pipe tobacco, preserve the mood of the old town. Time stood still here, people from one generation to another live in stone houses in ancient Akko. Because of historical value of these houses they cannot repair or rebuild them, and all the buildings in Old Town are also protected by UNESCO.

A street of the old city

Local residents of the Old City, mainly Arabs, – are excellent swimmers and fishermen, because they live on the shore of the sea from the day when they were born.

We love coming to the city in the early morning before sunrise, when it is still dark, and the air is fresh and cool, and watch as the city wakes up.

The wall of the old city

Fishermen go to sea, part of them remains on the dock, are casting rods and patiently waiting for the thrill of the victim in their hands, in every attempt to break free, planting hook deeper.
Imam of the local mosque calls for prayers. His beautiful voice is a little bit sad and mesmerizing.

The Jezzar Pasha Mosque

The sun rises, illuminates and warms the city’s narrow streets. The city comes alive; more people appear on the streets. Fishermen return with their catch in the nets. Traders willing to open their shops, throw the usual look at ordered rows of their goods.

Small restaurants are preparing to meet the first visitors for breakfast. The most common breakfast here are cooked beans, hummus and salad of very finely chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil. Everything is eaten with hot pita bread, which you break to small pieces and scoop with them your hummus or salad.

The streets are filled with the smell of food and coffee.

Washing camel on the city street

In the local market also are opening shops and exhibiting trays with sea food, fish caught in the morning, as well as shop with oriental sweets and shops with fragrant herbs and spices smell from afar.

The market

The ancient part of the city is surrounded by the wall, and in some places you can climb it. From there you can observe the beautiful views of the sea and Haifa . In sunny weather, the sea water and rocks in the water covered with algae refract rays and acquire beautiful shades of green and ultramarine .

Sea near the city walls

One day we watched local boys jumped from the wall into the water of the sea. Deep water was about two meters away from the wall and it was also surrounded on all sides by stone remnants of the old port. To get exactly between the stones the boys ran on the wall then repelled from the edge. It was a breathtaking spectacle.

An Arab boy jumps from the top of the ancient walls of Acre

Our favourite place for lunch is the restaurant “Abu Cristo”, located right on the shore. There they always serve a fresh fish with set of salads in an oriental style.

The warm summer evenings residents spend on the streets, sitting in caffès, smoking water-pipes, watching TV together.
Darkness falls quickly on the narrow streets, enlivening the spirits of the old town.

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About Us

We are Gadi and Tun - the midlife runaways. We regard our selves as a “world citizens” and currently we live and explore in China. We've decided to start this blog to share our awe and adventures with friends, family and all the people who love to travel. Feel free to comment and to join. And most important, don’t forget the state of “Being in Awe” with the world.

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About Us

Hi there! We are a couple, and we like to travel. We regard our selves as a “world citizens” and currently we live and explore in China. We’ve decided to start this blog to share our awe and adventures with friends, family and all the people who love to travel. Feel free to comment and to join. And most important, don’t forget the state of “Being in Awe”.